Child of the Wild
by Embarrassing Past 11
Summary: What is Pitch did his research with Grandfather Time before challenging the Guardians? What if he knew Jack was the root of his fall?
1. Chapter 1

Amber used the pads of her feet to silently run across the wall, vibrant moss burst between the cracks of the wall.

"Right, Amber, you've been given all of eternity and you need to get this down." She told herself her ultramarine eyes set on a gap in the wall. She decided that when she got to the end of that wall she's nail this flip.

The point advanced, quicker, faster, stronger, quick, faster, stronger, quick, fast, strong, quick, fast, strong. Amber threw herself into the air, double tuck, straighten into full twist, then one single tuck, then land in shoulder roll. She portrayed it perfectly. With a smile the spirit jumped off the wall and turned into the thick forest; her home.

"Well done, Amber, very well done." Amber spoke to seemingly no-one, she then moved to stand facing her original position, "what that, oh I do it daily. No biggie." She turned to leave, her feet tingling. "Damn it Jack, you couldn't've left this place alone; ou know this is my terrain, not to mention is the middle of summer.

Amber sighed; she waved her hand over a patch of glistening snow, it melted and a patch of pure silver roses grew in it's place. The girl gracefully slunk through the gaps in the trees, an army of silver roses in her wake. The day slipped into night.

* * *

Safe and sound Sophie was delivered home, courtesy of one Jack Frost. He was filled with a warm bubbly happiness, a feeling he was not used to.

A smile spreading across his face, a chuckle in his voice, "we should get back." Tilting his head at Baby Tooth, who nodded sadly.

"Jack? JJJack!" A young girl's voice called through the city; it was a night for staying in, sat before the fire warming through, few were out, so the child could be heard throughout the city.

Deja vu spread through him, "that voice, I known that voice."

With no further explanation Jack flew from the windowsill, trying to find the source of the crying. Ignoring the indignant squeaks from Baby Tooth Jack plowed on, gaining speed. The girl stopped; giving time to Jack to land on a grey roof and place his bearings.

"Jack?" He was getting closer.

The Winter Spirit catapulted forwards, some stray snowflakes fell to the floor behind him. He landed on a dirt path in a pine forest, patches of snow covered bumps in the land and a long neat line of silver plants, roses?, weaved between the trees.

Quickly Jack came to a clearing, a bed stood in the centre. Slowly, cautiously Jack stepped towards the bed. Baby Tooth tugged on his hood trying to pull him away, squeaking frantically.

"Don't worry, we still have time." Jack referred to his promise to Bunny to be quick. With a sigh Baby Tooth was forced to watch Jack grow closer to the bed.

The bed was old, with decaying supports for a missing mattress. Is had knarled wooden bed postsm that twisted upwards. Between the three central supports was a hole; a hole that went down to the black abyss, the pitch black abyss.

Using the bottom of his staff, Jack snapped the wooden beams. It echoed for too long for a safe jump, that is for a human.

"Jack?"

That was it. Jack jumped. With a single starled but mainly annoyed squeak Baby Tooth jumped. They lightly landed on compact grey soil. Baby Tooth tugged at Jack's hood.

"Baby Tooth! Baby Tooth, I have to find out what that is." Jack frowned.

They came to a huge opening. Silver gothic cages hung from the ceiling with a dark beauty. They held more Baby Teeth.

"Jack? JJJJack?"

"It can't."

Jack's gaze fell on a pile of gold capsules - children's memories. He practically fell on them in anticipation, grabbing at them he turned them to look at the pictures on the edges.

Blonde haired girl, chubby girl, boy with glasses, ginger girl, brunette boy, freckled boy.

"Looking for something?" A smooth voice said, scarcely louder than a whisper. With a frustrated grunt ice shot towards Pitch Black. Jack followed the sinister laughter, running along twisting and turning along the winding corridors. More ice flew through the air.

"Don't be afraid Jack."

The Winter Spirit slowed to a walk, "afraid? I'm not afraid of you." He advanced on the turned back of Pitch.

The Nightmare King chuckled, "maybe not, but you are afraid of something."

"You think?"

"I know so. After all, it's the one thing I always know. People's greatest fears. Yours is that no one will ever believe in you."

Darkness spread around Jack, causing him to fall downwards. He landed in a black room; chains catching at him ankles and wrists. They chained him to the floor.

"And worst of all, you're afraid you'll never know why. Why you? Why were you chosen? To be like this? For the answer to that is right here."

Pitch held a single golden cylinder. Jack's face embellished on the edge, well sort of Jack's face he had chestnut hair and eyes.

"Do you want them Jack?" A false concern filling his voice. "Have them."

They were discarded on the floor centimetres away from Jack's fingers.

"But for now the staff is mine." Pitch leaned on Jack's staff mirroring the position Jack would normally stand in, "you see, I've been chatting with Ol' Grandfather Time, and with some... Persuasion, he told me one version of this little tiff. And you're the reason the Guardians win. So you are mine now. Since you are still a neutral party right?"

Pitch did not wait for an answer he disappeared into the darkness; leaving Jack alone in the dark edges of his lair.


	2. Chapter 2

"WHERE IS HE?" Bunny yelled at the moon. He sunk down into a sitting position, "where?"

Tooth flew over, she put her around him. "It's all going to be okay."

"No, no it's not." Bunny waved at the destroyed warren, "Pitch has destroyed us. We're gonna need miracle."

The winds picked up; echoing through the tunnels, shaking the blossom trees, toppling Tooth in her already fragile state. The winds created a dome in the cremated of the warren. Bunny lifted his boomerangs, North his swords and Sandy his whips. Lotus flowers fell from the roof of the dome. In the energies of the wind a female silhouette could be made out.

The winds died down, and stood in the centre of a perfect circle of vibrant grass was a tall, thin immortal. Frozen in time as a fourteen year old. She had long onyx hair, and unusual ultramarine eyes. She wore a black hoodie and skinny blue jeans.

It was the Spirt of Nature, the Spirt of Learning, it was Mother Nature.

"Ma'am, what are you doing here." North bowed.

"Do not call me that! Or bow! Jeez, what have I done to be summoned by all four of the Guardians."

Tooth's eyes widened as she pointed at a circle of silver around the others feet.

Bunny stepped forward, "Another new Guardian. This is not some sort of club Manny."

"Woah, what make you think I want to be a Guardian?"

North raised a bushy eyebrow, "another one? Let me guess, we're all hardwork and deadlines and you're flowers and peace times."

"I was going to say nights out and fun times but you're close enough with what you said. Anyway I'm not here to become a Guardian, this is a summoning. I'm here to help perform a miracle that could make or break the defeat of Pitch. Care to explain?"

"We have an hour to prepare for Easter. Worldwide."

"Okay so we need to make roughtly fourteen billion eggs and sixty minutes." Amber closed her eyes, "simple, I'll just increase your working speed by eighty. So, let's get going." When no one moved, "do you trust me?"

"What, a mysterious girl who just appeared out of the air to help us. Who then can strangely alter the whole fabrics of time, a type of magic only Grandfather Time would be able to perform." Bunny crossed his arms sceptically.

"If it helps, I learnt the skill from Grandfather Time in Peru one hundred and fifty years give or take ago."

"Oh yeah, for sure." Bunny raised an eyebrow.

"Come in Bunny what other choice do we have?" North walked over placing a hand on the Guardians tense shoulder.

"Yeah, trust wrinkles."

"I not wrinkly." North said his accent thickening in his frustration.

"For sure."

Tooth flew between the spirt and the Guardians, "we are wasting time."

"Okay, hippie lets get going." The kangaroo indignantly turned and got to work, followed by an angry North, a nervous Tooth and an ever happy Sandy who gave her a thumbs up.

Amber closed her eyes, fell to her knees and buried her hand into the compact soil. She began to whisper in a language long forgotten.

An hour later, Amber pulled her hand out of the dirt - somehow totally clean. "Okay, that's time."

She looked around; Bunny was surrounded by millions of eggs, they followed him wherever he went. Some where stood on top of each other, they looked like fan girls trying to get to a celebrity. Tooth was eagerly painting intricate fairies and teeth on her eggs. North has painted presents, sleighs and reindeers on his red, eggs. Sandy just watched over the eggs, they couldn't loose any more.

"Okay, so we've gotta get these eggs hidden." Bunny called at the other Guardians, "Hippie we're gonna be needing ya help, so don't go disappearing off."

"Call me Amber, and I'll call you Bunny."

"Fine, Amber."

She inclined her head, "Bunny, see look we could be friends."

"Sure, Amber."

"Great, Bunny."

"You done, Bunny, you two?" North frowned.

"Bunny is finished." Amber smiled.

He shook his head, "so is Amber."

With a chuckle North sighed, "I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Amber is fine with it." Bunny looked at her.

She nodded her head enthusiastically, "So's Bunny."

Tooth and Sandy floated over, "should we get going."

"Yeah," Bunny nodded, "you in Amber."

She sighed, "I suppose, Bunny."

* * *

"Jack, wake up little Jackie." Pitch nudged awake with the toe of his hard shoe. "It's Easter Sunday. And last night while you were gone I sent my nightmares to destroy every last egg, an hour before Easter."

"What!" Jack strained against the bonds, "that's low Pitch, low."

"Shhh, just watch the lights go out."

A globe with glowing golden lights was wheeled before Jack.

"I am not going to watch." Jack shut his eyes tightly.

A stabbing sensation filled his leg, "Is that all you've got?" Jack grunted through his gritted teeth.

"Oh, no Jack. I've got so much, but not. Quite. Yet." Pitch plunged his curved nightmare sand dagger into Jack's leg for a second time, this time causing Jack to cry out. "Watch." That single word was filled with so much hate and anger that Jack opened his eyes without consent from the rest of his body.

"Good boy." Pitch patted Jack on his head, oblivious to the twisting and kicking.

Half way through Easter Sunday Pitch came back, the globe still had every single light remaining.

"WHY ARE THEY NOT GOING OUT!"

"Because you don't believe." Jack gave Pitch a truly angelic smile.

That possibly was the wrong desicion, Pitch grabbed Jack's head and slammed in into the ground. Jack instantaneously blacked out; red staining the hair around his ear.


	3. Chapter 3

"How feeling Bunny?" North turned to Bunny, slight concern in his voice.

Bunny hopped from foot to foot, "more believed in than ever." The pooka turned to Amber, "Thank-" Bunny stopped dead when he saw her feet and arms were slowly disintergrating into silver and purple blossom. "Don't go now!" He tried to grab her elbow but instead he was gifted with a handful of blossom.

Her eyes turned to him, full of sadness, "I'm sorry, it's part of the job description for being me. I can't get any emotional attachments due to being summoned to someone else before anyone truly gets to know me. It was nice."

"Please don't go." Bunny looked at the ground when he heard his own childish words.

She gave him a small smile. "Maybe I'm being summoned somewhere, where I'll be able to see you again."

North walked over placing a hand on Bunny's shoulder, "Bring back Sandy. If you're going somewhere to help."

"I pro-" the spirit was cut off, only a blossom covered baby cherry tree was left in here wake.

* * *

Pitch beat Jack bloody.

He didn't stop when the other cried; he didn't stop when the other screwed; he only stopped when Jack's body ceased it's moving, save short, jagged breathes.

Jack's restless sliver was short lived as he was slowly brought to by a warm breeze. Since Jack was a spirit of winter and all things chilly, so in a general sense, he wouldn't go running to anything warm with arms wide, but somehow this breeze was comforting. Quickly the winds picked up, going from a vaguely pleasant warm to uncomfortably hot, then back down to warm. Due to the spirit's weak state he got pulled along with the stronger gusts; when the winds finally slowed Jack lay at the feet of a girl a similar age to him.

"Oh my," She jumped back, then knelt beside him, "Manny, why didn't you send me earlier? Colourful eggs barely account for a bloody albino boy in a black pit with no roof." The girl's silky voice made Jack recoil.

"Too similar. Too similar." His face contorted in fear.

"Shh, shh. It'll be okay." Amber gently stroked him ash white hair, it was velvety even it's matted state. Her charcoal hair spilled over Jack's face, making his already shockingly pale skin come out an even colder contrast.

"Well…

'Well…

'Well…" The owner of the voice let his words hang in the air. "Look who's come running back."

"Don't patronise me Pitch! Show yourself. Or are you too scared."

"I'm not scared, and I'm not an imbecile. I know that you've grown stronger, but I did not expect you to team up with the Guardians and their idiotic sidekick."

"What did you expect! A certain someone sold my soul to a certain someone. Who created the Guardians."

"Okay. But you still fear me I can sense it. And so does little Jackie here."

Jack whimpered at that. Immediately cursing himself for doing so.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM? YOU PEASANT."

"Now, now don't throw your toys out the pram."

"Don't torture innocent spirits."

"Don't turn your back on family."

"Don't be hypocrite."

"Don't be rude."

"We've already covered this one but I don't think you got the message. Don't. Be. A. Hypocrite."

"Don't lower your defence."

With the little warning Amber was thrown into the jagged wall behind them; a rock that stood out from the rest pierced her back.

Paralised the spirit of freedom fell to the floor - unable to pick herself up. Tears welled up in her eyes, she'd lost a battle only just beginning.

"Go on, cry. I dare you. I can see the tears. Not to mention the fear rippling off you."

"Die in hole."

"What like you're about to?"

* * *

A pair of crystal eyes followed a shadow a shade darker than the rest. He was alone.

'Why does it always lead back to this?' The pessimistic part of the predominately positive sprite's mind took over.

Then he heard it. A single heartfelt sob.

"Hello?" His vocal chords just managed to grind out, painfully.

No one answered and the sobbing ceased but he heard rustling.

"Please. Please, don't go. I don't want to be alone, again."

Silence.

"Please come here."

Silence. Then a sad laugh broke the silence, "you're going to have to come here." A familiar clearly holding back tears monotony told him.

"Why?"

"Pitch... Pitch mashed up my spine." An unmistakeable sob echoed through the room, ripping at Jack. It was filled with so much sadness and anger causing Jack to stay silent, his words stolen from his mouth.

Then slowly the winter boy shuffled towards the voice. Jack came to a slim girl with elegant features.

She had smooth cheekbones, full red lips and long thick eyelashes. But those eyes, oh those eyes, they were a dark, dark blue that held so much wonder, so much knowledge, so much happiness, so much innocence, so much hope, so much passion. Just so much... But there were other things, thinks she'd learnt to hide. Emotions everyone had told her she could not feel. Emotions that filled her with numbness. Emotions hidden by others.

When people looked at her they saw a beautiful child who didn't know how to act, so she hid. Hid from responsibility, hid from growing older, hid from humanity. When Jack looked at her he saw nothing. He saw a girl who was, yes, painfully pretty; but didn't want to be. He saw a girl who'd lost everything she was so she didn't. Just didn't.

"Who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare." She answered sarcastically.

"No, WHO are you?"

She frowned, "What? Well, I'm Mother Nature but no one cares about that, they only care about me if I make all their problems disappear."

"Who are you?"

"Dude, you're weird."

"What's you centre? You're eyes. They are filled with so much but yet you seem so hollow and hateful of emotions."

"Seriously dude, you are weird. Normally conversations start with 'hello' or 'woah, how did you do that wind thing it was soo cool.'"

"Jack Frost." He stuck a hand out.

Shaking it she added, "I know, spirit of winter and Guardian-to-be with a centre of- wait can't say that yet."

"And why not?"

"Spoilers."

Jack pouted, "But you can make allowances right, for me?"

"Nah."

"Why?"

"CBA."

"Well, that's just mean."

"Soz." She shrugged.

Jack leant back, with one hand he grabbed air but then slowly released, "So. You can see into the future. That's cool and all, but what does it have to do with nature?"

"Nature evolves, evolves for survival, evolves for ease, constantly changing, constantly learning."

"And explains my question, how?"

"I spent twenty studying Grandfather Time's power, it seemed useful. So now, most of the time, I can read people's past, be in their present and hear versions of their future."

"Okay, that's cool?"

"Yes it is." Amber sounded slightly annoyed and slightly amused by Jack in general.

"So how'd you get here?" Jack changed subject before he actually annoyed her.

"Summoned." Amber would've left her explanation at that but Jack blank expression told her it wasn't enough. "Manny sends me to needy people to help them out. Like you for instance."

"Hey! Anyway you didn't exactly help me out. You made Pitch angrier."

"He's not angry, he's jealous."

"You know this how?"

"Three hundred years of trying to get me here to no avail and then with a nod of Manny's head I'm here. Just give him some time to lower happiness for a brief amount of time and he'll be doughy."

Jack raised a sceptical eyebrow. To which Amber just shrugged.

"Jack!" A familiar voice called.

He jumped, "that voice..."

The Spirit of Winter turned to Amber for an explanation but she had her eyes fixated on Jack's stomach. Slowly, cautiously he looked down. The pocket on his hoodie was glowing gold. Jack jumped back, then remembered.

"My memory box!"

"What?"

"Tooth gave me this so I could remember my past." Jack told her as if it was obvious.

"Oh yeah, of course, how did I not realise that(!)" She replied sarcasm filling every syllable to bursting point.

Jack ignored the sarcastic comment, "Do you know how these work?"

"Put you hand in the middle."

Amber's cobalt eyes watched Jack's sea blue ones pale with wonder. His pale hand rested in the middle, eyes now closed. The sprite's body went limp, in a comatose like state.

Amber's upper body tried to wriggle from under him, but stopped abruptly when her whole body filled with flames of pain.

Amber decided to call on her powers derived from Grandfather Time and look into Jack's future. She placed two long fingers on the other's emotion-void face - one finger over each eye. With a flash of silver light Amber's body joined Jack's on the hard black floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Amber was always given three different scenarios of the chosen person's future. Any of these could occur or different ones depending on events leading up to the scene.

* * *

 _Jack's voice came through monotone and flat in the emptiness of a thoughtless and clear mind, "if you teleport away now and never come back"._

 _Then the scene played out; they were in the same small cold room. Blossom was spread across the floor, presumably from where Amber had teleported out of the cave. In the centre of the room stood Pitch under him was a pile of rags._

 _On closer inspection a young boy lay on the ground. Jack. He had his hands over his face, they were bruised and bleeding - his whole body was in fact. He was shirtless, showing more blood, but his hoodie and blue t-shirt were close at hand._

 _"Where is she?" Pitch yelled._

 _"I-I don't know."_

 _Crack. Pitch kicked Jack in the chest, the tell-tail dip in his side told her that at least two of his ribs broke. He'd thrown his head back in pain, his scream so loud Amber's hands instinctively went to her ears. Frost sprouted away from him crystallising everything in the close vicinity._

 _"Where did she go? I know you know!"_

 _Jack just shook his head, biting his lip._

 _Crack. Another kick, another scream, another dent. Amber would've slipped on the ice forming but the vision had her rooted to the floor._

 _Pitch drew a dagger from inside his robes, "okay, last chance. Where. Did. She. GOO!" the last word was shouted so loud Amber was certain the roof shook._

 _Through gritted teeth Jack tried to hold back his tears of pain and frustration. "I. Do. Not. Know." It would've sounded very menacing, if his voice hadn't cracked halfway through know._

 _"Sweet nightmares." Pitch told him soothingly as he raised the dagger._

 _It plunged into Jack's naked chest. Silent tears fell down his face. Crimson ice water splashed onto the ground. The spirit's body limp, never to move again._

 _Then Jack and Pitch began melt to the ground, their features elongating and mutating. They seeped into the ground like water spilling into sand. Nightmare sand._

* * *

 _Again Jack's voice filled her head, 'if you leave and come back three days later'._

 _Pitch stood in front of future Amber, who stood up just like him. They were still in the same room but silver lightning bugs flew around just above their heads illuminating the two and the endless space above them._

 _"Ah, my darling angel Theresa. You have come back." Pitch stroked her cheek._

 _The future Amber flinched back, that's when the true Amber noticed the thick dark coils sunk deep into the skin of the other her's ankles._

 _"I came back for Jack and I go by Amber now since you've blackened the name Theresa with your lies and deceit."_

 _With that Pitch slapped Amber, or truly Theresa, across the cheek. His hand leaving a star shape on her face._

 _"You want Jack. Have Jack. Theresa." Pitch summoned one of his nightmares._

 _On the dark horses back was a limp body. The boy was thrown onto the floor at Theresa's feet. She knelt down putting a hand to the spirit's neck._

 _"He has a pulse." Mother Nature whispered, more comforting herself rather than informing Pitch. She turned to look at the older spirit, her eyes almost black with her rage. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!"_

 _"Oh, just a little bit of torture to free up his mouth. But he just wouldn't tell me where you where."_

 _Theresa looked sadly at the boy, "that's because I didn't tell him."_

 _"Oh, well now I feel dreadful. Faint with guilt." Pitch said in mock panic. He put a toe to the spirit's throat. He looked at the girl teary with her guilt, anger and panic, then turned to the heavy breathing nightmare. "Bite."_

 _Before Theresa could react Jack's throat was ripped out, his face relaxing instantaneously into an endless slumber._

 _The same melting sensation that happened in the last tale occurred in this one. The disfiguration growing quicker this time._

* * *

 _Once they disappeared, Jack's voice echoed through Amber's head for one last time. "If we escape together but you leave that night and never turn back"._

 _The lone winter spirit stood alone in a field of hip height grass. Where he stood there was a circle of flattened grass with one blanket, a silver letter on top of it with a fresh lily with gentle silver petals._

 _The lily froze with Jack's touch, ditto with edges of the letter. He read it the words entering Amber's head as his eyes glided over the neat letters._

 _'Jack,_

 _I know you're gonna be annoyed but now that we're out my job is done. Go back to the Guardians and never look back._

 _Amber.'_

 _Jack crumpled the letter and pushed off the ground - but not before pocketing the delicate ice flower. A trail of soft snow was left behind him._

 _Then time itself seemed to fold in on itself; the winds picked up taking the field with it._

 _Seven days passed in the space of a second and Amber found herself stood in the centre of the globe room. North was stood by her looking at the globe. Tooth chatting to her baby teeth. Bunny arguing with the elves about eld rights or something. Sandy- well Sandy was still gone._

 _One of the small windows was thrown open and Jack fell through it._

 _"JACK!" They all spouted in unison._

 _North walked over to the teen, "You're back my boy!"_

 _Tooth flitted over, pulling him into a big bear-hug. "Where were you? We were worried."_

 _Bunny however stayed put in the corner. Losing Easter has cost St Nicolas his eager and fast pace, Toothina her excited flight but Bunny his height and Jack was defiantly going to goad him about it._

 _"Bunny!" Jack called then caught sight of him, startled laughter filled the room, expertly gliding away from answering Tooth's question, "What, what happened! Did someone put you in the washer at the wrong temperature and shrink you? You're tiny."_

 _"Yes, thanks Frostbite. I hadn't noticed." Bunny replied to Jack with a frosty tone even the winter spirit could envy._

 _With a mock I-surrender gesture Jack put his hands up, "okay stand down soldier. If you can get any closer to the ground."_

 _"How, how was that called for?" He looked to North._

 _"Bunny, calm. Jack, play nice." Both sprites ground their teeth. North explained the toll the ruined Easter had cost them all. Then pointed at the last light "We were going to him tonight. To try bring back our power."_

 _"Well, what are you waiting for?"_

 _"Our last guardian."_

 _Jack spluttered, "Look, North, thanks, but no thanks. It's not me."_

 _Now it was Bunny's turn to splutter._

 _Before Bunny could angrily retort the pole began to darken. Black sands filled the room, each source of light in the pole phasing out in a shower of sparks, the rain of light. North shouted something in audible. Jack raised his staff instinctively._

 _"Isn't this sweet." A mocking tone echoed through the alarmingly quiet building, a building usually filled with so much joy, so much wonder of the creation of Christmas gifts. "The Big Four and the forgotten immortal child. You know I have her."_

 _Jack's dark eyebrows knitted together. "Have who?" He tried to act casual, but the tensed muscles, raised staff and fearful expression told another story._

 _"Oh, you know who. You don't fool anyone. Why don't you inform the Guardians of the relationship you have with the most powerful spirit known in the history of Man of the Moon."_

 _"Jack?" North turned to the teen._

 _Tooth felt her feathers ruffle, "Jack! You need to calm down. It's getting cold."_

 _Angry ultramarine eyes met concerned amethyst ones. "Then put a jumper on." He ground out through gritted perfect teeth, "go inside, sit by the fire. See your friends, see your family. Run from the cold, it's what everyone else does."_

 _Bunny protectivly stood in front of Tooth, despite his weeny size. "Mate, calm. The wind it's too strong."_

 _This was immeasurablely counterproductive; the winds grew stronger still, they blew Bunny into the wall. An unconscious rabbit fell to the floor. Tooth tried to run to Bunny. But the fairy was frozen fast to the floor._

 _Jack's furious eyes turned to North, "any more complaints?" North's beard was whipping around him in the wind, his knuckles white on his swords, horror splashed across his face._

 _North shook his head slowly, then put his swords on the ground- trying to calm the teen. The huge man then sat on the floor in a neutral position, his soothing wonderous blue eyes met Jack's ones that (much to North's alarm) were only a shade lighter than black._

 _"I am not going to fight a friend."_

 _Jack's chest rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell. Eyes turning back to their normal shade then past it to a shade of pure sorrow, "what have I done? I'm so so sorry." He fell to his knees next to Nicolas._

 _A sea of black, swamped around Jack. It pulsed around him like a sentient life-form. Changing the nature of the fun-loving guardian-to-be to a mindless servent of the Boogieman._

 _In the war in the spirit's brain faint calls made their way in contorting the magic._

 _'Who are you?' A familiar dark male voice asked the screaming teen._

 _"Jack Frost."_

 _'Incorrect.' Pain filled every vein, every nerve, every thought process. 'You are nameless, you are a mistake, you are the epitome of the unwanted. So I'll ask again; who are you?"_

 _"J-Jack." Uncertainty creeping into the corners of his words._

 _The same reply, same pain, the same reasoning._

 _'Who are you?'_

 _"Frostbite." This time Jack used the cold nickname he'd been given by spirits that hated his existence, and most recently Aster._

 _'Really? You're wrong again.' Pain again. 'You are nameless, you are a mistake, you are the epitome of the unwanted. So I'll ask again; who are you?'_

 _"The nameless; the mistake; the epitome of the unwanted." The fuzzy sound pollution surrounded the confused child louder than ever._

 _'Better. Now who cares about you?'_

 _"North, Tooth, Amber and Sandy, before he died."_

 _'Wrong again.' The pain was more powerful now. 'North, Tooth and Sandy needed a shield to protect them from the almighty wrath of Pitch Black, but they don't care if the shield get's broken or dented they can get a new one. And Mother Nature was doing her job, she's gone now and will never return. She doesn't care, they don't care, no one cares. You are nameless, you are a mistake, you are the epitome of the unwanted. Who cares about that, sad, cold boy who hasn't and will never amount to anything?'_

 _"No one will ever care, not the Guardians. Not Mother Nature. Nobody. I am nameless, a mistake and the epitome of the unwanted. I should've drowned in the lake and ended everyone's suffering there."_

 _'Who let you live?"_

 _"Man in Moon."_

 _'And why?'_

 _"Because he he made a mistake. Amber cares though."_

 _Pain filled the boy stonger than all the others waves combined, the voice screamed in Jack's head, 'DON'T YOU DARE MISTAKE HER AS SOMEONE WHO CARES. DON'T YOU DARE MISTAKE HER AS SOMEONE WHO LOVES. DON'T YOU DARE LOOK IN HER EYES AND SEE SOMETHING MORE THAN BETRAYAL. She is dirt. She is dirt lower than even you now.'_

 _The pain rolled over him, but the lost boy no longer wanted to hold on here. He was nameless. He was a mistake. He was the epitome of the unwanted. And Amber had left him. Darkness had won, so why carry on? The child let himself die._

* * *

Amber was flung out of Jack's doomed future and met with the present one.

"What were you doing?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Remember always that I'm sorry. You have to stay strong, never doubt yourself and never doubt that Pitch wants anything less than total destruction."

"Are you talking about me?" Gold eyes opened in the never ending darkness over the caves, "all bad I hope. Because then I can hurt you."

* * *

 **AN.**

 **Phew, thank gosh that's over with. Cheers to the longest chapter I've ever written on this platform.**

 **Cookies to:**

u/6361631/bluefrosty27 **(read her book, I mean Kid Pitch who can say no?) Cookies for your knowledge, kindness and question - the answer being there is no difference. But I have grown up with stories from my own Grandfather about the adventures of Grandfather Time.**

u/6769974/so-in-her-own-head **Cookies for your kindness and first review on the book.**

 **(^o^) Cookies for everyone, thanks for the love.**

 **Aimee out.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Mild gore in second memory. Last memory contains hinting to maturer topics. Nothing too horrendous. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Jack remembered. He remembered his past life, his forbidden past. The lost boy felt found. But then he woke up, finding himself on top of a paralised spirit who was watching him with immeasurably sad eyes.

Shifting to his knees he frowned at the girl; when he asked what was up he was gifted with a even more confusing answer. Before Jack could question her further the godly gold gleaming of Pitch's eyes appeared in the dark abyss.

Instinctively Jack's right hand searched for something that wasn't there. "Dammit he's got it." Jack muttered to himself.

"Sorry didn't catch that." A cool voice stated.

Jack subconsciously pulled up his hood. Leaving Amber as the two's spokes woman.

"I don't think you were supposed to." She replied semi-sarcastically, carefully keeping her voice low and emotionless.

This infuriated Pitch, she should be fearful not sarcastic. She should be begging for mercy, she knew what he was capable of. She should be idolising him, by his side and being his little doll - like she had for the first seventy-five years of her spirit life, until MiM turned her into his holy nurse of nature. "Now, Amber, I can heal you; set you free. But with one condition you leave Jack here."

Alarm bells rang in Amber's head, 'WARNING, possibility 1 and 2 roots here. Avoid, avoid.' Her brain screamed at her. She didn't let the recognition show on her face, it stayed emotionless like a pale waxwork. "Umm, no can do. Two of your finest rooms please."

Pitch's expression could've killed enter cities with one deadly glare. "Okay, we'll play this the hard way." Fear slipped down Jack's spine. "Is ikle Jackie scared. Goood."

Black tendrils grew from the edges of the darkened room, they roped around the two spirits limbs. They both instantly began to struggle. Amber was pulled into the darkness, Pitch knew nature can't function in darkness. He turned to the jaw gritting winter sprite; a sharp toothed smile spread across Pitch's face.

A curved black dagger spawned in the older's hand, slowly Pitch knelt down gripping the hilt. It sliced through his jumper, gently scraping across pale skin. Shudders rippled down Jack's spine - waiting, painfully waiting for it to begin.

The knife dipped into the soft flesh just below his rip. A short gasp escaped Jack's lips; a dark chuckle emanated from the back of Pitch's throat; a muffled cry reverberated from the darkness. Pain permeated in Jack, lips breaking open he let out a second shout as the dagger slipped further inside him. Cold blood fell to the floor in a silent trickle.

Pitch pulled the dagger from the restrained body - then plunged it slowly, mercilessly down between his collar bone and shoulder. Walking away Pitch left the dagger to slip further into the boy's stuggling figure. Once it was fully sunk in it began to dissolve in the child's blood. When the dagger's job was done the winter spirt fell against his chains, unconscious.

With a malicious grin Pitch mentally congratulated himself on a job well done, "Sweet nightmares."

Pitch turned on his heel an glided into the void of the unknown behind him. As the figure dissipated into the shadows Jack was freed to fall painfully to the floor, this however cannot be said for Amber.

Raising her heavy head she bellowed after the walking nightmare, "Pitch, thou contrived a lamentable reconciliation. Thy advocate thou to extricate Jackson. What did he do!" Mother Natures heritage showing through as her anger hit boiling point.

Pitch rounded on her, "don't you dare threaten me. You, threaten me!" He laughed a laugh that could curdle milk.

In three sharp steps that echoed around the empty dungeon Pitch was stood above Amber. She glared at him, he glared at her.

"What?" Venom coursing through each letter Amber pronounced.

Green eyes analysed each twitch of each muscle in Pitch's face - calculating how far she could push him. His jaw tightened, eyes glowed - left one crinkling fractionally at the corner - and his eyebrows threatening to heighten on her forehead. Amber realised she'd already over stepped the line, it wasn't horrendous by it was at least a long walk, two bus rides and a taxi from okay.

Pitch sat on Amber's stomach, causing her breath to knocked out of her, he put one leg either side of her and grabbed her face. Pulling her slim face to the side he whispered into her ear.

"I love you. I love you so much it hurts me to look at you. Why don't you see that? You think that those on the good side are the only ones to hurt. We were a family."

"I-I don't remember."

Pitch closed her eyes with his fingers, a dull silver light eliminated her perfectly proportioned face as she slipped into an induced comatose, where lies webbed people's intentions.

* * *

 _Amber stood in the rain, letting the smooth coolness of the roll over her hot skin. The bubbling of withheld tears burnt the back of her eyes; she would not cry. For she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down. The shadows are long, and the rain poured in the rain._

 _"I'm sorry Emily. I'm so sorry." A familiar male voice said from behind her, it was husky and melancholy._

 _Amber- Emily didn't say anything, not turning round, her mind not slowing down. Then she felt it - her world coming crashing down. So she stood in the rain, standing her ground. She'll stand through the pain, she won't drown._

 _Emily opened her dry mouth and quietly uttered the words, "One day, one day what's lost will be found. But for now, please go."_

 _"Em, please."_

 _The turned back stayed turned. The rain stayed raining. The silence stayed silent._

 _"The sun will always set, and when it does don't light a candle. Please, please talk to me. You're all I have left Emmy."_

 _She wouldn't make a sound; so Pitch left. Leaving her alone to fight with herself, her fears whispering._

 _"All I want is to be found. To be free. Not to be forgotten." But Emily didn't know, the only way is through everything she's running from. "One day, one day what's lost will be found. But not today, or any time soon."_

 _Emily stood in the rain. Letting it soak into her black shirt, then quickly drench her skinnies to. Her body temperature began to drop, but she stood still. Her mother dead, her one believer dead, her father the keeper of the night. Twilight turned to dawn and dawn turned to dusk._

 _The silent figure on the hill never moving. Her tears never falling. Her hair never shifting in the cool winter wind. The lonely teen was still for one hundred days and one hundred nights. Her mind building walls impossible walls to break._

* * *

 _With a flash of blinding light Amber, Emily, Theresa, the child of the wild was sat on a log in front of a handsome boy. The boy had dark mahogany eyes and hair to match, and stunning white teeth to make him look like your traditional fairytale prince._

 _"Penny the Princess rode her big horse through the forest of dreams. Her long black hair and blue eyes stood out in the greenery of the trees." These words spiked Amber's attention, could someone finally see her? "Penny got to the fountain in the middle of the forest, and there stood in the middle of the diamond water was none other than… A MOOSE!" He shouted the last words as he brought antlers to his head. It sent his audience into scattered laughter, all but one. Amber._

 _She stood and walked to her lake. Sitting on the rotting jetty Amber stoked a blade of grass, it shot to the sky growing into a silver lily._

 _Her mind wondered to Story Boy,_ 'did he see me?'

 _Lost in the boulevard of broken dreams she dipped her shoeless feet into the glassy water below. She watched the ripple rings eat up the flat water. Contemplating the idea of a cool swim, the spirit didn't notice the teen stand at the base of the jetty. Amber was rudely interrupted only by the unnerving boncing of the old pontoon when he plopped down beside her._

 _"Did you not like my moose joke? I mean it was comedic genius."_

 _"Woah, back track, you see me?"_

 _"No, I'm talking to nature! Of course I see you." Amber couldn't help but laugh at his statement. "How can you find that funny but not the moose?"_

 _"Do you believe in Mother Nature?" The dark haired girl blurted._

 _Sceptically Jackson raised an eyebrow, "don't laugh but, yeah. I never grew out of the prospect. Or Santa, or the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy, or-"_

 _"The Boogieman." Amber lowered her voice to a mock creepy voice, while wiggling her fingers in the air._

 _Jackson chuckled, "rude!" He play pushed her. Pushed her just a little too hard._

 _One second they were sat on the old boat jetty, the next Amber had been pushed in, taking Jackson with her._

 _Treading water they both came to the surface flushed with laughter. "Well I was thinking about swimming but not with a partner."_

 _"Partner am I." This was rewarded with a face full of water. "Oh, is this the way it's going to be?"_

 _Amber gave him a slow nod, but without a second longer delay she splashed him once again. With one raised eyebrow Jack let loose a tsunami of water. But as Amber was the embodiment of harnessed (for the largest proportion of time)_ _nature Amber lifted a hand and parted the oncoming wave. In two knifes of diamond it passed her without a single drop touching her drying hair._

 _"How is that possible." Jackson's boggled mind tried to process the new information._

 _"Bad aim?"_

 _Jackson tried splashing her again, hoping for a different outcome. No such story though._

 _"How…"_

 _Coming closer the girl whispered in his ear, "do you believe in Mother Nature?"_

 _"You, you. Never... She's old."_

 _It was Amber's turn to splash the boy. "I don't look it do I?" She said in mock horror. Rolling her arm to dry her hair and face._

 _"How is your hair not frizzy?"_

 _"Harnessing nature, my dear human."_

 _Jackson threw his head in pure laughter. Hauling himself out of the cool water, he lazily watched Mother Nature created a circle in the water around her; the water stood up at her touch, it was a ripple frozen in time. Once she'd finished her circle, palms down, the girl put her hands on the surface of the water. Quickly she rose out of the water - her hair, skin and clothes bone dry. Mother Nature landed on the water and flashed Jackson a quick smile._

 _"Well, that was average."_

 _"What! I totally just harnessed two of the four elements of Earth. How can you not be impressed."_

 _"Well, for starters there's five."_

 _"Earth, air, fire, water." As she listed them off she brought up a finger. Flurishing three fingers in Jackson's face, the spirit continued, "four."_

 _He pulled up her pinkie, "ice, four."_

 _The girl laughed, "Ice isn't an element. It destroys nature's beauty."_

 _The brown hair'd boy sat down and crossed his legs, "Ice enhances the vibrant green of leaves, it emphasises the beauty of sunset and it remindes you of the warmth of the fire."_

 _"Sorry, didn't realise you were such a poet. I don't think we every formally introduced ourselves! Well at least I told you who I was you never told me." Sitting down she put a hand on Jackson's shoulder drying and warming his whole body._

 _"I'm Jackson, most people call me Jack. Unless I've done something wrong, then it's Jackson Overland."_

 _"How about Jake?"_

 _"Oo, that's new. Jake. Jake Overland. I like it. So what do I call you? I'm not calling you Mother Nature."_

 _"You choose a name for me, so long as it's not Emily or Theresa or Kate."_

 _"Why not, Emily suits you."_

 _"New name, new me, new past, new present." She sighed, "new future."_

 _"Jeez, I think you just got a bit to philosophical for my liking. How about Nate."_

 _"Or just Nat."_

 _"YES!"_

 _Jake's excitement of such little things surprised Nat in a pleasant way. They talked about school, friends, family and life; well Jake talked Nat listened tentatively. Soon day became night, sun became moon, clouds became stars._

 _"See you again?"_

 _Nat nodded with a small smile, "Yeah, I'd like that."_

* * *

 _Nat was asleep on a wooden log, a white silk blanket pulled up and over her head. The only way it was decipherable as Nat was the two thick black plaits that could belong to only one, and the fact the silk had deep blue petals_ _intercately entangled into the very fabric of the material. Jake worked quickly around, creating a mess of string in the branches around her. The perfect trap, a maze practically impossible to escape._

 _Once he was finished, Jake opened his mouth and shouted, "NATNATYOUNEEDTOGETYOUGONNABELATE." then proceeded to imitated what sounded like a dying whale that wanted to alert the whole continent, "ORRG MALTH CHRACK DREDNJAK FJEINSXO IRNFIEK KFIR FO."_

 _"HOLY CRAP, SHUT UP! Are you insane." Infureated muffled words escaped from under the blankets. "I'm sleeping."_

 _"Correction. You were asleep." Nat could hear his contagious grin. "Come, get me."_

 _With a elongated sigh, Nat turned her head (that was still under her blanket) towards Jake's direction. "If this is another prank, you better run. Run fast and far." Then in one quick, swift movement she was on her feet and the blanket had disappeared. Nat looked Jake dead in the eyes, her peripheral vision warning her about the silver string surrounding her._

 _"Er surprise?"_

 _Nat gave him the state of infinite and immediate death. "Run. Run as fast as your human legs can and will carry you."_

 _"Sure, okay." With that turned on his bare heel and ran quickly._

 _With a playful but dead scary smile Nat whispered, "game on."_

 _Raising a hand the strings burnt away with a small amount of smoke rising from the forest. Slowly she stepped over the line of smouldering ambers that had created an oblong circle around her log bed._

 _"Here I come ready or not." Nat let her words whisper down the wind. Making sure the exhalation reached Jake._

* * *

The memory cut off there. Leaving Amber/Theresa/Emily/Nat oblivious to certain information. One last memory began to filter in.

* * *

 _Up and down, up and down, up, down, up, down. Emily paced between the shrivelled branches; her fury heating her surroundings. The grass, or rather hay, her bare feet pressed down on sizzled and turned to embers._

 _There was no reason for her anger given in the memory but something didn't fit. Jake was sat in a nearby tree watching her with weary eyes. One eye only half open, the swelling and pushing his upper lid down._

 _"Nat?"_ _Ignoring him Nat continued her tiresome pacing, "NAT! HOLY CRAP! Stop!"_

 _Fire began to dance around Nat's fingers, her anger was literally creating fire. Her usually deep blue eyes were a glowing gold, her features twisted in fury. Every time her eyes caught Jake's an undeniable shiver slipped down his spine. He couldn't believe it his best friend was scaring him. He'd been told time and time again that Nat didn't exist and it was just sad giving himself a new nickname. His father using less loving words and actions to get Jake to 'see sense'._

 _"JAKE!"_

 _Being forcefully removed from his own memories and deep dark thoughts. His brown eyes focused on the now ultramarine irises of Nat. Then something less welcoming the crackling of fire. He jumped at the sight of the tall plumes of orange flames mixing with black ash of the dead trees._

 _"What have you done?" Jack panicked, climbing higher in the dead trees to avoid the ever growing flames of Nat's fire._

 _Nat ignored the question trying to concentrate on the peace and tranquility of water. Water to put out the destruction and unforgiving anger of fire._

 _"NATT? This is a terrible time to be doing meditation." As the word 'meditation' tumbled out his mouth a armies of white horse ridden waves crashed out from a circle Nat had created around her. The fresh water circled Jack tree putting out the powerful blaze._

 _Once the immediate danger had passed the tree began creak. Older and louder and then with one last echoing crack the dead tree began to topple over. Nat rushed forward trying to catch him in the air with her powers; but after using all her power in the fire and water she could only slow his fall._

 _When Jake came closer to the floor Nat made absolutely certain that he slowed enough to gently place him on the floor - ash flying up then settling. Red began to seep across his skin. Using the sleeve of her cotton brown dress Nat wiped the larger proportion of the blood away - smearing the rest away. He had a deep cut across his cheek that was certain to scar up._

 _Placing a hand on the wound - not at all squeamish - and closed her eyes. Concentrating on the trees around him, the burning of the sun, the beat of his Jake's heart. Concentrating on the life surrounding her. Slowly the skin began to knit back together. After that was done all, Nat's hand slipped into Jake's face. Phasing through the blearily conscious body._

 _Jake was healed._

 _Jack was forgetting._

 _And Jackson was oblivious._

 _Nat was broken._

 _Emily was forgotten._

 _Mother Nature was untouchable._


End file.
